


That Poor Gentleman

by GlitteryGreySweater (AnonymousPseud)



Series: That Gentleman [1]
Category: Infernal Devices Series - Cassandra Clare, Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Angst, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Out of Character, Prostitution, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2016-06-22
Packaged: 2018-07-14 13:36:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7173995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonymousPseud/pseuds/GlitteryGreySweater
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Magnus Bane, owner of Pandemonium, one of the most famous magazines across the world, is in search of a partner to present to the group of people he calls family.</p>
<p>Here enters Alec, a man who roams around the streets of Los Angeles in search for easy money.</p>
<p>The two met one night due to an unexpected situation wherein Magnus lets Alec into his life of glitz and glamour.</p>
<p>Will it be too much for the poor gentleman to handle? Will the glittery millionaire still be the disappointment he has known himself to be?</p>
            </blockquote>





	That Poor Gentleman

**Author's Note:**

> Hello reader! Thank you for stumbling upon my new story. If you follow my creations, you might have realized that I keep on posting and deleting my works. The reason is that I am not content with the outcome of the work itself. With that being said, I present to you a new story which I truly adore and will spend most of my time with.
> 
> Well, I do hope that you would enjoy this one.

_"What the hell, Magnus?! Were you even thinking that time?!"_  His companion screeched into the receiver, making Magnus pull his phone away from his ear. He grimaced because of the probable damage that occurred to his eardrums. Clearing his throat due to annoyance, he kept the device at a distance where he could still clearly hear his best friend scolding him without obtaining no further damage to his hearing. He propped the elbow of the arm that was holding the phone on his crossed over knees. With his eyes checking on his plum-colored fingernails, he kept up with the conversation he was having. He being told off by one of his best friends (more than one in some occasions) was a usual occurrence by now that Magnus already knows the gist of their speeches; he calls them Bane-terventions just to add a little more fun to it rather than just plain old boring interventions. He doesn't need to have his full attention during these things.

While he half-listened to the tirade that was going through his phone, he only got the words  _"Stupid"_ ,  _"Idiot"_ ,  _"Kidding"_ ,   _"Wrong"_ , and a few other words that are quite inappropriate for sensitive ears, which were all in repetition by the time it neared the end. When he can no longer hear his friend's voice from his phone, he placed it back against his ear. "Are you finished, my dear emerald prince?" He asked, smiling despite the topic of their conversation was how prone Magnus was to idiotic decisions.

A sigh came through first. Then the other line spoke.  _"You didn't listen to a word I said."_  It was more of a statement than a question. It just made Magnus chuckle.  _He knows me so well_. He thought, smiling wider at the sentiment.

"Well, with the amount of stupidity I've been doing all my life, I think I've already memorized your scolding material, Ragnor."

 _"At least you know that what you did was some pretty stupid shit."_  Ragnor grunted.

Magnus chuckled at the both of them, quite missing these exchanges between them and their friends where there's just banter and sarcasm everywhere; missing their teenage years where there was nothing to worry about other than high school crushes and failing subjects. It was quite refreshing to hear since all he has been hearing all week was business deals, client appointments, latest fashion trends and all alike.

Then Ragnor's voice cut off his musing. _"Just— think this through, Magnus. I just don't want anything happening to you."_  The graveness in his voice made Magnus squirm in his seat. He wasn't used to hearing seriousness when it comes to the other man. He was only used to bitchiness and rudeness when he speaks most of the time.

"Okay. I will, Rags." He responded with much sincerity in his voice before hanging up on him.

He removed his phone away from his ear and stared at the blank screen for a second or two, contemplating on whether he was already agreeing with his best friend and his reasonable argument. Ragnor was probably right in stating that it was the stupidest idea Magnus has ever had in a string of stupid ideas, but he still hasn't seen the consequences of his decision, so he believes that there was still no reason for him to worry. He then placed his phone on the glass-top coffee table and took his martini glass right after. Taking a sip of the clear liquid, he relished the burn in his throat that came with the alcohol. He sat back on his black leather couch and went back to the event that had Ragnor calling him an idiot over and over once again.

_It was a usual Sunday morning when Magnus woke up with the thought that he was late for work. He panicked at first, throwing away his canary yellow duvet out of the way and rushing to the bathroom to take a quick shower, only to realize that it was finally a day where there was no work related issues that were chasing after him; a day where he can finally relax. He plopped back down on his poster bed, breath being knocked out of him a little. Then he rolled over on his stomach, picking up the discarded duvet from the side of the bed. He wrapped himself around the thick material, indulging himself with the warmth that ensued. A sigh of content escaped his lips, leaving a dazed smile on his face. With the hectic week he just went through, he felt that he had been working for a whole month with no ends nor breaks than just six days; five working days was the usual, but he was that busy. This day. This very day now felt like a blessing._

_As he was wrapped up like a burrito on his bed, his cat, Chairman Meow, decided to emerge from its hiding place and position itself on top of the glittering heap that was its owner. The cat situated itself just a tad below Magnus' chin, tickling him with its brown-patched white fur._

_"Chairman, get down. It tickles." He huffed out, giggling though when the tabby wouldn't budge from its position and even rubbed itself against him more._

_He contemplated on disrupting his warm self with removing the Chairman and preparing a much needed cup of coffee or just let the cat continue on tickling him under the comforting covers. It was one of the hardest decisions that was presented to him in all his life, and he was presented with either a meeting with the editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia or American Vogue (there wasn't even a competition on who won his vote between those two)._

_After much consideration between both sides, he opted to go for the first one. He wiggled one of his arms out of the duvet to remove Chairman Meow out of the way, placing him at the side to avoid any casualties towards his furry friend when he gets out of his confines. The feline immediately scampered away the moment it landed on the ground, making Magnus roll his eyes. He unwrapped himself out of the cocoon he created for himself, and fixed his bed afterwards, humming out of tune as he did so._

_When Magnus finished, he considered putting on some clothes. Well, more of them for that matter. He was only clad in the lavender skin-tight boxers he wore yesterday. But with the thought that he was only going to be alone for the rest of the day, he decided against it. The only thing he did to lessen his nakedness was throwing on a salmon silk robe that just end right above his knees. It felt cool against his bare skin, making a shiver run down his spine and goosebumps appear where the material made contact. The chill made the man long for his daily caffeine even more. Which was why after taking his phone with him from the nightstand, he treaded his home barefoot, not even trying to search for his slippers and ignoring the coolness that came from the floor's tiling._

_Magnus quickly made work on his preferred beverage concoction the moment he arrived at his kitchen area. Reaching for the brown sugar at his cupboard, he scrolled through his saved playlists in search for the playlist he adores during these types of days where he can just be lazy and alone in peace. He connected the device to his speakers after he got the container and the playlist he wanted. With Echosmith's Bright being the first to play in shuffle, he hummed along with Sydney as she sang and he made a cup of coffee._

_He made his way to the kitchen island, blowing on the steaming coffee that was in a mug with the words "Better than Gandalf” on it. He sat on one of the barstools and just relished the warmth the coffee brought and the peacefulness that was only accompanied by soft-sounding music. It was times like these when he thinks that the gods do love him despite everything that happened in his life._

_As Magnus was halfway through the cup, the sound of a buzzer resounded all throughout the penthouse. That little buzzer came from the elevator in his home, indicating that there was a person that was inside who was coming up to his floor. It was too early for having any disturbances, especially when it's this unexpected. He was confused since there was no call from the lobby. Normally, whenever there was someone who wants to see him, the manager would contact him whether if there was actually a meeting. Again, the buzzing sound bounced all throughout the complex. The man groaned, forcing himself out of the stool and walking towards the elevator to await the visitor. As he did so, he made a quick list of people who were allowed to come up to his floor without having the manager ring him up whether they were allowed to or not. Only a few names come to mind; Ragnor Fell, the photographer who should still be in Moscow for a photoshoot; Catarina Loss, the nurse who's too busy recently to even bother to text every once in a while; Camille Belcourt, the heiress who's currently residing at the Hamptons with her new conquest; and Tessa Gray, the writer who is touring around the world with her fiancé for the past three years now. All of them are the only possible people behind those doors, yet not a single one is capable because of the current situation at hand. Or so he thought._

_He dismissed the thought that he was quite underdressed for a visitor since it was an unwanted surprise and it was too early to even have one. He couldn't care less if he was scantily clad at the moment. It wasn't his fault for only wearing minimal clothing on his rest day._

_When the doors opened in front of him though, the scowl that was plastered before turned into an expression of bewilderment. It was as if real magic has been performed right in front of his eyes._

_"I believe that a hello is the best greeting to start with." A brown haired woman greeted, a wide grin forming by her beautiful features._

_No words were exchanged between the two. The atmosphere around them was heavy with emotion that can be felt by both parties. Finally, Magnus decided to initiate the first move, which was to greet the visitor. The greeting he chose to do was to engulf the woman in front of him in a warm welcoming embrace. He wrapped his silk covered arms around her slim waist and leaned his head on her shoulder. She accepted it gladly, hugging back with as much force she can muster. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, the soft cotton of her coat brushing on his nape_

_When they pulled apart, the man's almond shaped eyes were filled to the brim with tears. His expression made the brunette chuckle. "I never thought that that would be your way of greeting me, Mags."_

_"You know that I'm always a sucker for surprise reunions, Tessa." He said with a smile on his face, though tears were running down his cheeks._

_Tessa wiped away the streaks that were made in their wake, laughing at how odd they would probably seem if they could be seen by other people; a woman who's completely covered by layers and layers of clothing from head to toe and a man who's barely wearing anything at all hugging each other like there was no tomorrow in between the elevator's doors. It just made her smile turn into a full grin with tears also threatening to fall from her grey eyes._

_Before anything could go any further in terms of emotion conveying, Magnus let Tessa into his home. He continued his way towards the kitchen island while she shrugged off her coat and scarf, placing it on the coat hanger near the door. When she realized that her friend had the heater on, she also shrugged off the light jacket she was wearing._

_"I see that you've redecorated." Tessa said conversationally, taking a seat on the black loveseat at the living room._

_Magnus scoffed at that, taking his cup and bringing it with him to the living room to accompany his friend. "What did you expect, sweet pea? You haven't visited for three years." He said as he sat down gracefully on the couch. He took a sip first before continuing his thought. "Styles will change as time passes; what will be in today might be out tomorrow." He told the brunette with a gesture of his hand._

_She nodded at the man's words, fiddling with the engagement ring she wore. Silence fell between the two, comforting the both of them and deciding that she should let him collect himself first. It was too much for this early in the morning. He was only panicking this morning since he thought he was late for work and now he was overwhelmed by the reunion he was having with one of his oldest friends; there were just so many emotions that occurred today and it wasn't even noon yet. He did his musing while he drank his coffee. It made everything better; calmer to be exact._

_When he finished his beverage, he placed the mug on top of the coffee table. He shifted his sitting position, folding one of his legs and placing it on the couch. He placed his arm on top of the backrest, where he situated his head on top of his palm. So now he was looking directly at the woman who was curled in the loveseat, her frame fitting perfectly on the seat._

_"So, Tes, what brings you in New York? I thought you were touring around the world with Jem?"_

_"Well, I was until Charlotte called me."_

_Magnus sat upright at the mention of the name. His eyes looked as if they were about to protrude out of their sockets. "Charlotte? As in_ the _Charlotte Branwell, wife of Henry Branwell?_ That _Charlotte?_

_Tessa giggled at Magnus' reaction when she mentioned her. "Yes, Maggie. The Charlotte Branwell called me when I was in Mumbai."_

_The black haired man crawled towards her, still astonished at the news. "But she had never contacted us ever since we all left the Institute, Tes. She wanted us to not depend on her anymore. That's why she cut all contact from any one of us."_

_"I know that, Mags. I was there too, you know?" She said though continuing on speaking to stop the train of thought to leading astray. "But that's beside the point. So, she called. There were, of course, pleasantries first before she went to the point on why she called in the first place because that's Charlotte for you. Then she told me that the reason why she called was because she wanted a reunion with all the children that lived in the Institute. She asked me afterwards if I had any contact with anyone from our batch. I answered yes since I do actually have all of them. So, that is why I am here now; to inform you about the event the Branwells decided on having."_

_Magnus took a minute to process the information. It wasn't hard to understand really; a reunion with the people at the Institute wasn't too hard to fathom. It was just the shock of it all. When he thought that the turmoil of emotion was over when he and Tessa sat in the living room with the peacefulness surrounding them, oh was he completely wrong. This news was the icing to the cake of emotionally triggering events that occurred this morning. They were having a_ planned reunion _with everyone from the Institute. If you're not emotional from learning that you'll be seeing the people you've considered family for all your life and whom you haven't had contact for more than ten years, then you'd be labelled heartless._

 _There were so many questions he wanted to ask her, but he settled for the most obvious one. "When and where is this_ reunion _going to be held?"_

_Tessa paused for a second, recalling the conversation she had with the English woman. "Well, it will be held in London; obviously at the Institute. The date was still a tentative matter as well as the time. She was deciding on whether it will be held on the eighteenth of December or the thirty-first, New Year's Eve. But she's more in favor with the thirty-first."_

_Magnus gaped yet again before plopping down on the leathery material from being on all fours. The only movement he did was to shift his head to speak. "So, the date that's most likely is on New Year's Eve."_

_"Yup." Tessa answered, popping the p._

_"That's next month."_

_"Last time I checked."_

_"Why?"_

_"Why what?"_

_"Why hold it on New Year's Eve?" Magnus whined as if he was a spoiled teenager. He lifted his head up, facing Tessa with a pout on his face._

_"Is there a problem with the reunion being held on New Year's Eve?" Tessa asked with pure curiosity in her eyes._

_The man sighed, placing a hand under his chin. "Well, sweet pea, if you were a party animal like myself, you would want to go to the most lavish and exciting party during New Year's Eve. And I believe that the Branwells' reunion New Year's Eve extravaganza is only one of them." He explained._

_"Oh." It was the only thing she said before settling further into the seat._

_Again, silence fell between them. It was a tad bit awkward in Magnus' part, having told Tessa that he would prefer to go to a random socialite's party than his family's reunion. He rubbed his palms together, a nervous habit of his, as he opened his mouth to say something to break the silence, but the brunette beat him to it._

_"Um... Mags?"_

_"Yes, sweet pea?"_

_There was a pause after Magnus spoke. A long agonizing pause that made him even more nervous than before. He knew that Tessa wasn't this kind of person; she was more straightforward than anyone else he knows. That is a fact of life. The only time she's not like that is when she's done something—_ Oh no.

_"What did you do?" Magnus asked, his tone steady yet his expression says otherwise; his eyebrows were furrowed in anxiousness; his eyes flared determination in getting the information; and his lips were turning into a tight line with every passing minute she's not speaking._

_After a minute or two without a word, he had to pinch the middle of his brows to let out the frustration. "_ _Tes_ _, I can't read minds. If you want to tell me something, please tell me now. I'm getting anxious just by looking at your face."_

 _"_ _IamsosorryMagsImighthavetoldCharlotteyouhaveaboyfriendIamsososososorry_ _." Tessa blurted out all at once that he understood none of it. He refrained himself from completely rolling his eyes. He's had enough of all this shit this morning. "I also can't understand gibberish, sweet pea. Will you compose yourself first?" He said calmly, surprising him immensely since he wasn't actually calm inside._

 _She took in a deep breath, trying to gain some sort of composure. She wasn't sure how to tell_ _Magnus_ _this. She knows that he'll go ballistic when he finds out. But you can't really blame him if he does. It was her fault in the first place. She's just praying to the gods that maybe he'll react kindly since it was her that did it._

 _"Okay, I'm calm. I'm calm. I can do this." She said to herself, psyching herself as if she was having a game after their talk. "You see, other than telling me about the reunion, Charlotte asked how everyone was. I told her about how some of us were; you, me, Will and Jem. Since I wasn't really close with_ _Jessamine_ _nor Sophie I couldn't really tell her about them. But if I remember correctly, Sophie's married to a_ _Lightwood_ _and Jessie's somewhere in_ _—"_

 _"_ _Tes_ _, you're stalling."_ _Magnus_ _interrupted before she suddenly changes the topic._

_"Oh, sorry. So, then she asked if any of us have anyone special. I answered that I am engaged with Will, and Jem doesn't have one since he's striving to be a priest." She then stopped abruptly, looking at the man in the eye. Greys met golden greens. Silence was yet again present, even more tense than before since you can now cut a knife through it._

_"What about me,_ _Tes_ _? What did you tell her?" He inquired._

_She was again playing with the golden band around her finger. "Well, she first asked if you weren't like you were before; flirty and someone who sleeps around. She was hopeful that now that you were actually all grown up, you've learned your lesson. Since I know that you didn't actually change who you are, I told her that you have a boyfriend."_

_Magnus_ _gaped at her again, looking at her as if she had just revealed the world's secrets that was so absurd that you would wish that it wasn't true at all. He was about to say something, but Tessa continued on._

 _"There's more. And I'd understand if you would never talk to me after this. So, she bombarded me with all these questions, mostly about what your_ boyfriend _looked like. I had to do some impromptu describing there. So, I described the first person I saw, which was Will. I told her that he had black hair and blue eyes like him. She cooed saying that that combination was your favorite."_

 _Magnus_ _sighed dreamily. "Still is, Charlotte." He told the air. Then after a second he was snapped back to reality with everything Tessa said. "Hold the fuck up,_ _Tes_ _. You just told our mother figure that I,_ _Magnus_ _Freewheeling Bisexual Bane, has a boyfriend."_

_"Yes." She said guiltily._

_"And to add to that, you even said specific features about him."_

_A nod._

_"Have you lost your fucking mind?! How am I able to do that?! It's hard enough to find someone who's actually compatible with me, and to add to it,_ he _should have black hair and blue eyes! Do you know how hard it is to find someone like that? Of course not, since you have that piece of_ _Herondale_ _ass linked to you!"_ _Magnus_ _fumed, already feeling the wrinkles he's going to have in the future._ _He rubbed at his temples, the growing headache already occurring. If he thought that he just wanted to let this day last longer than usual, he thought wrong now. He just wanted to end this day right this instance._

_"I'm really sorry, Mags. I didn't really mean to. I just_ _—"_

Magnus' musing got cut off with the sound of the phone ringing at the other room. He let out a deep sigh, placing his martini glass back on the coffee table. He heaved himself off the leather couch, and made his way towards his study area. He curled his toes as he walked, enjoying the sensation of the action. He opened the varnished wooden door of his work room, smiling at the homey feel that immediately struck him. This was the only room he chose not to frequently update with the modernized lifestyle trends. He liked the vintage feeling he gets in his rooms. He moved towards his desk, full of paperwork and a few personal effects like statuettes and framed photographs, and picked up the phone.

"Bane." He stated without any greeting, indicating that he wasn't in a friendly mood.

 _"Mr. Bane."_ The man from the other line began. His tone, though sounded respectful, held boredom and annoyance. _"Someone's here for you."_

"Who is it, Raphael?"

_"They did not specify. They just stated that they wanted to see you immediately."_

He looked towards the antique wall clock at the living room. _Midnight._  He didn't know anyone who was stupid enough to roam around the streets at midnight during a weekday. He could name a few if it was the weekend though, but that was beside the point. Thinking of a few possible choices, there was only one person he could remember who _does_  roam around the streets at midnight, even beyond that.

"It can't be."

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you had a great time reading this. Thank you again. Leave a comment or kudos if you really enjoyed it. Those two are highly appreciated.
> 
> -GlitteryGreySweater
> 
> P.S. I'm also writing another Malec story "The Heartbreaker". I hope you will also support that story as well as my other ones.


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